Milan scrape through

AC Milan won the inaugural Emirates Challenge Cup with a 2-1 victory over a spirited Al Ahli side at the Rashid Stadium on Sunday evening.

Goals from Clarence Seedorf and Giacomo Beretta put the Italian giants firmly in command, before Hassan Ali’s sublime strike late on put the outcome back in the balance.

The visitors held on nonetheless to raise aloft the silverware at the end of a keenly-contested 90 minutes.

Massimiliano Allegri’s men looked the more likely to open the scoring in opening quarter of the game and they came close on 25 minutes, when a Seedorf free-kick found Massimo Oddo and his long-range volley flew just wide of Saif Yousif’s goal.

Yousif was duly called into action shortly afterwards, athletically parrying away Luca Antonini’s 18-yard effort for a corner.

The San Siro outfit continued to press and good interplay between Seedorf and Oddo down the right flank teed up Cassano for a looping header that floated harmlessly.

Cassano then threatened again after being played in by Rodney Strasser, only to see his drilled effort seemingly strike an arm inside the box. His appeals to referee Fahad Al Kassar Banihammad were though waved away.

Milan eventually went deservedly in front on 38 minutes. Ismaeel Ahmad’s woeful, cross-field set-piece left Al Ahli facing a three-on-three situation at the back and, against a team of Milan’s class, they were always likely to be punished. Pato ran at the retreating rearguard and, as the back-tracking legs committed to blocking his surge, a neat pass played in Seedorf, whose finish found the net in spite of Yousif’s partial stop.

Pato and Seedorf drew saves out of Yousif as the first half drew to a close, although the hosts’ shot-stopper was fortunate not to concede from the Dutchman’s piledriver as the attempt squirmed through his grasp and narrowly away from the near post.

Either side of those efforts, David O’Leary’s men fashioned their first noteworthy opportunity as Pinga slipped Faisal Khalil through. He couldn’t quite get the ball under control however and goalkeeper Flavio Roma shepherded his advance safely out of play.

Allegri predictably made wholesale changes for his second-half line-up, bringing Ambrosini, Ibrahimovic and Robinho – among others – into the fray.

Pinga and Milan substitute Beretta tested their opposing custodians at either end in the early exchanges following the restart, yet there was little entertainment on show until the visitors doubled their advantage on 72 minutes; Robinho’s centre expertly picking out Beretta for a bullet header and 2-0 scoreline.

An ugly incident marred the latter stages as, with 10 minutes left on the clock, Robinho collided with an off-pitch camera and hobbled down the tunnel nursing a heavily-strapped right knee.

Hassan Ali halved the deficit with a fabulous volley that went in off the underside of the crossbar on 85 minutes, yet there wasn’t enough time for the hosts to find a late leveller at the death.

An unnecessary spat erupted following the full-time whistle as Ibrahimovic and O’Leary exchanged words regarding tackle on goalscorer Hassan Ali, although the anger subsided markedly as both clubs went down the tunnel.

alex@khaleejtimes.com

• Football